1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical-score information generating apparatus, a musical-tone generation controlling apparatus, a musical-score information generating method, and a musical-tone generation controlling method, which control reproduction of a musical piece based on music data, with use of musical-score information that associates musical-score data of a musical score with music data relating to the performance of the musical piece based on the musical score.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic musical instruments and music reproducing apparatuses, a technology has been proposed, which displays a musical score of a musical piece on the display screen of a displaying device and generates musical tones corresponding to musical notes indicated on the displayed musical score, thereby giving a performance of the musical piece.
For example, Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3077269 discloses an apparatus, which compares musical score data with performance data generated based on a key of a keyboard pressed by a player, thereby detecting a position on the musical score where the player is playing, and displays the detected position on the musical score.
Further, Japanese Patent No. Hei 10-240117 A discloses an apparatus, which uses MIDI data file, musical-score image data file containing musical-score image data representing a musical score in each of measures, and exercise supporting data containing a controlling code for each of the measures. The controlling code includes a code indicating an appropriate page of the musical score, a corresponding part of MIDI data, and appropriate musical-score image data. In the apparatus, the page of the measure to be learned or practiced is confirmed based on the controlling code, and the musical score containing the measures on the page is displayed.
In general, the musical score contains various repeat symbols or repeat marks and the same measure(s) is repeatedly played for plural times. Meanwhile, music data for giving a performance of a musical piece, such as SMF (Standard Midi File) storing MIDI data, is composed of note-on events, note-off events and time information, wherein the note-on event corresponds to generation of a musical tone, the note-off event corresponds to cease generation of a musical tone, and the time information corresponds to a time duration between the events. But a repetition of the measure (s) is not contained in the music data. Therefore, since musical notes on the musical score do not always correspond to the events in the music data, when a position (for example, a measure) is designated on the musical score, sometimes a music piece cannot be performed smoothly.
Further, since the repeat symbol or the repeat mark is more complex in figure, when compared with other elements composing the musical score, such as a staff and bar lines, a possibility of correctly recognizing the repeat mark in the image data will become low. Therefore, sometimes it is difficult to specify plural repeat marks and their positions on the image of the musical score as the composing elements of the musical score.
The present invention has an object to provide an apparatus and a method, which generate musical score information containing musical score data of a musical score and music data for giving a performance of music based on the musical score, both data being properly associated with each other, and specify repeat marks and their positions on the image of the musical score, and read music data of each of the measures based on the specified repeat marks, thereby reproducing the music properly and giving a performance of the music from the position desired by a user.